The Virgin Madam
by Blood of Your Lips
Summary: Bella leads a fulfilling life as the owner of her bookstore-cafe-gift shop and the renowned Masked Madam of Boston's most elite bordello. She's happy pushing her books and booking her beloved girls. But what will happen when the one and only Carlisle Cullen re-enters her cozy, exotic life? *Repost * Read Author Notes*
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing from the Twilight world. All characters and original plots are the creation of one Stephanie Meyer. This is story is purely for entertainment, and no copyright infringement is intended. While all of said characters and original plots do belong to Miss Meyer, the idea for this story is my own and any resemblance to any other work is purely coincidental.

**WARNINGS: Graphic Adult Content and Language, AU.**

. . .

**Velvet Curtains Opened**

_Spring 2011._

**BPOV**

My Crackberry blared 'I'm Walkin' on Sunshine' in my ear through my pillow. It was my morning alarm clock tone, and it normally did not bother me too much, but this morning I wanted to throw the damn electronic device across the room. Of course, when I stopped to think about it, I suppose that I should have been happier. The cheerful tone signaled the end of a nightmarish evening and herald in a brand new day, so in that respect, I really could not complain. Today, I knew, had to be better than the previous evening.

The house had dealt with, not one, not two but, three less than pleasant customers the night before, and given my position, I had the immense joy of dealing with all three. And with one being thoroughly drunk and the other being extremely high, telling them to leave the establishment had been somewhat daunting. Okay, so I am lying. It was downright terrifying. So much so that I was surprised that I had not released little golden trickles down my legs at the alarm I had felt while demanding the angry and intoxicated giants to vacate the premise. Yes, I had a security guard that patrolled the outside, but sadly, the inside was even less secure than the outside. Something that I really needed to rethink.

Just like I really needed to think giving up my day business.

Yes. At only twenty-two years old, I was the proud owner of two businesses. Well, I was the proud public owner of one and the proud, but secret, owner of the second. I was certain that people would call me a hypocrite for that, but the truth was that in the business world, it could easily destroy your hard work if someone found out that you are the owner of an establishment like the one that I kept at night. The truth was that I loved both of my businesses, but to keep one safe and sound, I had to hide my name and my face behind a mask.

Of course, in all reality, the establishment that I would soon be leaving was not originally mine. No, it came to me by an inheritance of sorts. I had been the personal assistant of the previous owner during my college years, helping her keep schedules and run the front lobby in the evening after busting my rear at school. When she finally met someone and fell in love, she was ready to give up the establishment, and with the wealth this place brought in, it really was quite easy for her to do. To my surprise, she left the place to me. To my even greater surprise, most of the girls had been okay with this. But that was probably because I had endeared myself to them by being available to help them in any way that I could, quickly garnering the respect and loyalty of most of the females there for all of the helpful efforts that I put forth. Now, being their employer, I strove to be fair and understanding as possible, and I was fiercely loyal and protective of my girls. In turn, they offered the same sentiments to me.

Despite our unique business, we were quite the happy family. Well, except in cases like the previous evening.

Dear God almighty, I did not want to get up, but I had coffee to grind and books to push.

Yes, my own little store was quite different from this place; although, that was a grotesque understatement. My part bookstore, part café, part gift shop was enormous leaps and bounds away from the different line in comparison to this place. It was like comparing a grape to a watermelon. Sure, they were both fruits and had a sweet flavor, but there was no damn mistaking the teeny fruit to the gianormous melon.

And if I did not get my grapes and melons up soon enough, I was going to be _extremely_ late, not that it really mattered, I guess; it was my damn store. Still, I slipped out from under the red, Egyptian cotton sheets and the thick quilt of wine and mauve satins and velvets, noticing that the gray foggy morning was peeking through the heavy, velvet drapes. Waking up here was always surprising as I did not do it often. I sometimes forgot just how extravagant the room was compared to my own cozy little bedroom in my apartment. I only stayed here on stressful nights or nights when the weather was bad, and as last night was a very bad night, I had been in need of a drink or two and did not trust myself to drive home.

But I really did not want to think about last night. Those nasty fuckers had upset me and, more importantly, my girls... You could mess with me, but you better damn well not upset my girls.

I stretched. _Seriously, Swan. Stop dwelling. You'll give yourself a migraine._

Four hours later, I was sitting in a cozy chair, vanilla-caramel cappuccino in hand, hidden away in one of the back aisles. It was a lovely location that kept me cloistered away from view if and when I needed peace, but allowed me the perfect view of the main aisle of the store. So if anyone came in, I would see them. I was not quite sure how or why the designer added this little private nook, but I was beyond delighted that he did.

I was halfway through chapter six, and the author was just about to reveal who the mother of Langdon Heart was, when the door chimed. _Godda... bless America._ I corrected myself quickly, knowing that it was highly unattractive for a lady to constantly curse. I did it quite a lot, but I really needed to quit. "Hi!" I chirped happily as I came out from my little hideaway. "I'm Bella. Welcome to Beautiful-_Carlisle?"_

Holy moly-steal my cow!

I absolutely could not believe it. There, standing in the doorway, right in front of my brown eyes was none other than Doctor Carlisle Cullen, in all his six foot and two inched glory. And sweet Pete in a seat-had he always looked this hot? Or was I just blind as a teenager? Perhaps it was because I had been in love with Edward. I tried to recall what Edward looked like in my mind, but being faced now with the golden god, all my brain could give back to me was 'Edward who?'.

_Hey, Swan! Your jaw's hanging like the bats in Carlsbad Caverns... For the love of God woman, shut your damn mouth!_ I shut my mouth. _Now, open it and say hello._ "Um... Hello?" _My God, we're just a regular fucking Einstein today, aren't we? And for Christ's sake, shut your mouth again. You're about to drool._ I self consciously rubbed my mouth to make certain that there was indeed no drool. _Great. That was classy right there!_

"Hello, Isabella."

_Fucking hell! I think we're gonna need to change panties soon._ This was one time that I had to agree with my mind, because sometime between his family abandoning me and that door chiming, he got a whole helluva-lot hotter... Wait! That bastard and his family left without saying goodbye, so why the hell was I creaming more than a squashed éclair? _Because he looks like he was sculpted out of vanilla ice cream? ...You know, chocolate goes good with vanilla. Maybe we could dip him in-_

"Er... Sorry, Carlisle," I stammered, knowing full well that he could hear my heart racing and smell the juice pouring from me like Niagra Falls. _Just keep calm and- Don't even go there._ "I have to say that this is a surprise."

"Hopefully, a pleasant one."

In the past, that comment would have made me turn seven different shades of red, but thankfully I had matured and could accept teasing and playful banter for what it was. I smiled. "Always," I said sincerely.

Truth be told, I _could_ understand why the rest of his family had left with Edward. Rosalie had never been too fond of me, so of course she would be on the bandwagon to leave, and as much as Em loved me like a little sis, Rosalie was his wife and his _mate_, so he had to follow her. Esme, of course, would have been torn into, forced to choose between her new daughter and her first son, and given her loss, I could not blame her for following Edward. As the head of the family, and Esme's mate Carlisle would have felt compelled to leave in order to be with his mate and to keep his pre-existing family together. Alice, I think, might have stayed, but with Jasper still being relatively new to the whole veggie-vampire life, the male needed the support of the others... In the end, only Edward was to blame.

"So," I drawled slowly, as if testing the word, as if testing to see if my mind thought it were okay to speak. "How long have you and your family been in Boston?"

He let out a soft, snorted chuckle. It was that disbelieving, slightly self-deprecating sound that people always made before giving bad news about themselves or the question asked. "I am alone in Boston, Isabella."

"Oh... Right," I said with an uncomfortable laugh. "The whole doctor-business-travel thing. Sorry."

He shook his head, his citrine eyes not as dark as they had been upon first seeing me. "No, Bella. I am afraid that is not the case. My... family has moved on."

I blinked, certain that I was misunderstanding him. "Um, I'm sorry... I..."

When he cleared his throat and nodded faintly to the little nook where I had been hidden, I felt the barest tinge of heat coloring my face, before inviting him to the back with me, pondering the entire walk back just how it was that Carlisle Cullen, the patriarch of the mighty, or rather once mighty, Cullen clan was all alone. Despite my body's inappropriate reaction upon seeing him again, I knew that the vampire was a good man, with a good, though undead, heart. It made me quite sad to think about this gentle creature being on his own and lonely.

After we were both situated in the little nook, I waited patiently for him to begin, and the words he began with tugged at my heart.

"Everything changed the day we left."

.

**CPOV**

Today was one of those not-so-rare days when I concluded that vampirism was indeed the most aggravating curse that God had allowed to be created, though I did not believe it to be a curse because I felt that my soul was damned to an eternally burning Hell. Oh no, my spirit had reconciled with this disease and had made peace with the Almighty quite some many decades ago. I was unwavering in my belief that vampires retained their souls and I was perfectly at peace with the knowledge that if I ever met my end in this limited immortality that my spirit would pass through the gates of pearl... No, it was not the damnation, or lack thereof, of my soul that drove me to think of vampirism as a curse today. Or any day.

It was humans.

Do not misunderstand. Overall, I was rather fond of the human race. They were quite a fascinating species actually, a small part of the reason that I continued to study and practice medical sciences. However, there was the occasional mortal, or rather group of mortals, that truly tested my patience and the largest part of the restraint that I held over my animalist nature, and two of them were currently walking down the hall and passing my office door: mindlessly, shallow, gossipy humans.

Yes, that special group of nuisances came in both male and female form, but it was generally the females that were the biggest offenders. The superficiality of the majority of those few males simply revolved around trying to push a casual acquaintanceship into a farce of a companionship, in the hopes that they could boast having a personal connection to my name and, more importantly to them, my wealth. And while this was endlessly frustrating, I knew that it was no more so for me than it was for any other billionaire of the world. But the epitome of my trials, in regards to my carefully crafted tolerance, were females, the females who were so painfully obvious, not only in with their words, but with their behaviors.

It was quite vexing sometimes. I was well aware that my physical appearance was, for lack of any modest description, far superior to any human male, and for that reason I was able to bear the greater part of the stares and the whispers with little discontent. Yet once in awhile, there would be a female, or sometimes two or three if I was exceedingly unlucky, whose gaze went beyond wishful looking to attempting to have sexual relations with me with their eyes alone. To me, this was far worse than the continual suggestive touches, for I could easily remove myself from any physical contact. Sadly, I could not stop women from all but raping me with their vision.

Of course, that usually led back to the group of males that I loathed-the ones that would make their way to me, after seeing such looks from those women, and suggest in some loud obnoxious tone that I should pursue, at the very least, some brief sexual encounter. And while I once thought that this had to be the pinnacle of irritation for what I once used to believe was my endless patience-I only learned in the past fifty or so years that my tolerance did have its limits-I recently discovered that there was something far more annoying to my nerves: a few colleagues' repeated suggestions that, seeing as I did not wish to involve myself in any serious relationships, I visit a cathouse.

While I held no negative feelings for those who worked in or frequented such establishments, I found the lecherous tones employed thoroughly distasteful and even more aggravating. And I had been on the receiving end of this madness today within the first four hours of entering Boston Mercy General. Until a few weeks before, I would have staunchly argued that it was wholly impossible for vampires to fall prey to human afflictions, but I was beginning to question whether or not my species could get headaches. Or more specifically migraines.

When it came time for 'lunch', I was more than happy to depart the facility, because God knew that I would find no peace at all if I remained in the hospital during my 'lunch' break. I only desperately needed to find some place quiet with very little human traffic, and thankfully I knew, from overhearing some of the female staff, that there were a few quaint shops within walking distance. If I could locate one that had a sufficient lull in their business, I would truly be the happiest creature on the planet.

I was about to abandon my search and resign myself to hiding in my car-there was no way, come Heaven or Hell, that I was going to stay in my office with that grabby, red-headed demon of a nurse lurking about-when I saw it, like a beacon of hope in the midst of this human Hell. To be honest, were it not for my vampiric vision, I doubt that I would have seen it, and from my location, there did not appear to be any mortals, save whom I presumed was the owner, in the establishment... Would it not have been a pathetic display, I might have dropped to my knees and thanked God right there in the middle of Boston's noon traffic, but seeing that it would have been, I simply made my way as swiftly as I could without drawing unnecessary attention to myself to the other side of the street.

But the moment I opened the door, I knew something was not entirely right. Once inside the building, a slight partition between me and the nearly overwhelming scents of the city, I easily detected a familiar scent, a scent that I knew belonged only to one person... But it was impossible. She was from another place, another time in the not-so-distant past. It was not possible for her to be here. Not when the others were gone.

"Hi!"

I glanced quickly around and saw her. Dear God in Heaven, it really was her!

"I'm Bella. Welcome to Beautiful-_Carlisle?"_

Were the situation not so painfully surreal, I might have permitted myself a chuckle at how awkwardly her introduction came out, but as it was, I was certain that we were both too surprised to respond in any other way than to just stare. Of course, it was easier for me to gauge her reaction to my presence than it was mine to hers, because I could hear her heart rate increase. I was not incredibly worried about that though, as I knew that she was probably less than pleased to see me, given the circumstances of how my... family had departed from her.

Why was I still standing here? More than likely, my presence only served as a painful and ugly reminder of her heartbreak.

I inhaled, stealing myself for the worst, but when I did, I was suddenly surrounded by a heady scent. As I listened more closely, I could hear the difference in the moist material of her underwear in comparison to the dry areas... It seemed that Isabella Swan's reaction to my being near her was far different from what I imagined, and that pleased me immensely, more than immensely if I were to be honest. I could only pray that her eyes did not move much lower than my face, because whether or not she accepted my existence in her life again, I did not want the first new, and possibly the last, thing that she remembered of me was my suddenly raging erection.

I was not at all surprised at my reaction to her. I had an immensely similar response the first time that I had ever observed her, but at that time, she was only a teenager. Not to mention that I was married and she was infatuated with the young vampire that I had considered my son; though to this day, I sometimes wondered if her affections for him were wholly hers or if he aided in her attention with his unique ability to 'dazzle', as she had called it... No, I could never have admitted my pull to her in the past. For one, it could have landed me in prison. For another, if her feelings for the younger vampire had been partially manufactured, it could have easily caused her emotional trauma to be told otherwise, something that I would have never risked.

I heard her inquire as to my family and I felt my already cold venom practically freeze in my undead veins.

How sickeningly ironic it was that our family left her alone to protect her from ourselves and, if we were to be honest, ourselves from her, yet only months after our departure there was no protection for us against one another. In leaving her, we all left apart of ourselves behind and exposed others, leaving us all vulnerable to the harsh truth that none of us before would have faced: We were not a family. We were a group of animal-human immortals that were trying to create a world that would never exist for us as a unit.

I knew that the sympathy that crossed her face was genuine. Bella was a caring soul. Despite all the hurts we had inflicted upon her, she was nearly incapable of holding a grudge or wishing ill will. Of course, she would feel badly for me, would wish to hear my plight in hopes to offer some comfort; and God forgive me, while I had practically come to terms with my losses, I was more than willing to share my less than happy endings with her as it meant that I could share part of myself with her, a part of my heart, a part of my soul.

"Everything changed the day we left."

. . .

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Words from a Not-So-Distant Past to a Not-So-Distant Future**

**BPOV**

I found it very difficult to focus. How could I possibly center all of my attention on his words alone when he sat before me like Apollo himself? How could I keep my chocolate gaze from raking over the way the light blue material-seriously, did that man own a stitch of clothing that was not blue? Not that I really cared, because his chosen colors only seemed to enhance the beauty of his creamy skin; and truth be told, I really could not imagine him in any other color-of his shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and chest. _Jesus H. Christ, Swan, do not look any lower. It's bad enough that he can smell you creaming every time he inhales. Shit, I'm surprised that he hasn't already asked if you need to change your panties... Oh my God! Seriously, how horrible are you for sitting here, expecting the worst of the worst, but still you're soaking your drawers and trying to figure out if he'd be open to the idea of_ nantaimori!_ He has a face, honey. Look at it!_

I resituated myself in the comfy chair and gazed patiently at him, waiting for him to tell me his tale and trying desperately not to fidget. Dear God, this was embarrassing. I could not, for the ever-lovin'-life of me, quite figure out why I was reacting to him so strongly. Sure, he was definitely the most gorgeous creature that had ever walked upon the face of this Earth, but it was not as if my cup had ever previously runneth over for him. Yes, I had always found him physically stunning-I would have to be blind and mentally deficient not to-but I had never, in all of my years after hitting puberty, become this wet for anyone. Not even Edward. Not even for Carlisle himself... Well, not until now anyway.

I almost wanted to cry, because I was so embarrassed. How did you say 'Yeah, I know that I'm leaving a wet spot on the chair, because I'm so drenched, but I really am sorry for your loss'? There was no way to explain that, no matter how true it was. And it was. I really did hate that he had lost his family, but I just could not stop my body from reacting the way it did. It was as if my body would not be satisfied until I stuck my ass in the air for him and said 'Come and get it, big boy', which would definitely not be the appropriate response to his forthcoming story. So I took the less embarrassing road and simply shoved my raging desire as far down as it could go and mentally jumped on top and proceeded to do the Mexican Hat Dance on it in my mind. A lovely choice I thought, as I had seen an actual Mexican Hat Dance before and found it to be quite appealing and joyous.

But right now was not the time for appeal or joy.

"Everything changed the day we left." His words sounded so ominous that I instantly felt compelled to apologize, but he shook his head. "Do not feel sorry for me, Isabella. For a brief moment in time-well, brief for my kind anyway-I had almost forgotten the cold hard truth: My family was not at all a family. Perhaps if we had not attempted to co-exist under such a façade, we would have lasted beyond the short time frame in which we did, but I refused to remember that creatures such as I can only function as humans in groups of two or three. It is true that larger covens exist, but they are exactly that. They are covens. They do not attempt to take on the portrayal of human life... I should have known better than to believe that simply because I could restrain my urges and maintain this role of human life that I could tame a group of creatures that are as savage beneath the surface as I. While one or two vampires can live and function together as humans, large groups cannot. Not for long. The sort of... pack mentality begins to surface. What happened at your birthday party was only a small example of that."

I remembered it well. I remembered the growls and snarls and the hungry looks. And at that time, I had been fairly certain that the only one who did not wish to 'eat' me was Carlisle, but hearing him speak now, I wondered if perhaps maybe Edward's words about the Cullens' leader had been more for my benefit. From the way the vampire spoke now, it seemed that his current views of himself were far different from what I remember being led to believe. "What happened?" was the only thing that I could think of to ask.

"Almost the exact moment that Edward returned from driving you home is when things went, for lack of a better phrase, straight to Hell," he answered succinctly. He gazed around the room again, but I was fairly certain that he was not consciously taking in the creamy and golden décor of my little shop. When he looked back, there was a small self-deprecating smile on his pale pink lips that did not reach his eyes. "It started out as a 'blame game'."

There was no doubt in my mind whom Edward blamed. He would have barged into the stunning white house and immediately blamed the empath, purposefully overlooking that it was not only Jasper's bloodlust that Jasper would have felt. When I voiced my opinions to Carlisle, he admitted that I was correct. "Edward did indeed blame Jasper. Jasper, of course, blamed himself and when Alice tried to remind Edward that it was the combined desire of all present, Rosalie then blamed..."

"Me," I supplied in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's okay, Carlisle. I know she was never exactly fond of me."

His lips twitched. "That is a different way of stating her feelings, yes. And yes, she blamed you. Then she blamed Edward for being, to rephrase her less than complimentary words, foolish enough to involve a human in our private affairs. She then blamed Esme and I for 'indulging' Edward, and she then proceeded to carry on a rather colorful tirade, her accusations becoming more unpleasant with every sentence, until she finally made a rather unforgivable remark that Edward was unable to disregard."

I understood his words to mean that this caused a fight, but I could not imagine Rosalie saying something so horrible as to provoke Edward to attack her. I was curious and he reluctantly repeated her words, in what I felt was his more tactful and gentle way, as Rosalie would not be so reserved in her wording. He sighed deeply and slowly said, "She stated to everyone that she felt that it would have been better if we had simply allowed Jasper to... satisfy his urges... and that our lives and the rest of the world would be best to be rid of your existence."

I blinked then chuckled. "I thank you for your more delicate approach, and yes, that does sound like something Rosalie would say. I would be willing bet that Emmett did not handle Edward's reaction to Rosalie's words very well."

"That would be a grotesque understatement, to say the least," he said, the slightest trace of a small making its appearance. "Every piece of furniture downstairs was destroyed completely, as was the staircase. If anyone in the house needed to make it from the first floor to the second or vice versa, we had to jump. Surprisingly, after their fight, Edward and Rosalie quickly came to an agreement that they both thought would be the most... beneficial to the family." He gave me a hard look, his intense golden eyes inquiring if I understood his meaning, which I did. Entirely. "We went to stay with the Denalis while we attempted to fix our own inner family issues, but alas, it did not work. We all grew bitterer toward one another. Rosalie continued to blame Edward. Edward continued to blame Jasper. Alice blamed Edward for her having to leave her best friend. Esme was torn, but given the loss of her own son in her human life, she chose to stand behind Edward. Emmett blamed no one, but the bond with his mate forced him to follow Rosalie, and I... While married, I was not Esme's mate and was unable to support her decision to side with Edward."

_Well, spank me cross-eyed!_ I quickly reminded my brain that it was supposed to be safeguarding my libido and that the words 'spank me' should never be allowed near anything relative to Carlisle Cullen. _Unless he's into that kind of thing._ Oh Christ in a handcart, I was turning into a raging nymphomaniac with schizophrenia and a really naughty fetish. _Speaking of fetish, maybe we could get him to do it in only that lab coat. You know, the one with his name embroidered on it?_ If I could put a chain around my brain and tie it to reality I would. _How rude!_

"Things went significantly downhill from there, as you can imagine," Carlisle continued, unaware of my internal struggle. "It was only a few months after being in Denali that Edward wished to leave the family, and when Esme wished to follow her first son and I did not, she asked me for a divorced, to be released to find her own happiness. And I agreed." He held up his hand to cut off my sympathetic apology. "She was my wife, Bella, not my mate. Yes, it hurt for some time, for I did care about her, but her loss was not the end of my world."

He sighed. "However, the loss of Esme was far more difficult for the others, and when Alice had a vision of Rosalie and Emmett adopting twins and beginning their own clan, they departed. Not long after, I took my leave from Jasper and Alice." He smiled sadly. "It broke Alice's heart, I do believe, but Jasper and I knew that it was for the best... Jasper is most in touch with his animal instincts, and while we both logically knew that I would never be a challenge to him when it came to his mate, it does become quite difficult for many mated males to have only unmated males around. As long as Emmett and Rosalie were around, he felt less threatened by my presence. Once I was the only male left with him and his mate... We both knew that it would be only a matter of time before he found my presence less than welcome."

I smirked. "You mean until he snapped and tried to fight and kill you?"

His pale pink lips curled upwards. "Yes." His topaz eyes studied me more carefully now, and I felt my body responding, somehow growing even wetter beneath his deep stare. "And what of you, Isabella Swan? How have you faired these past five and a half years?"

I swallowed. What could I possibly say to that? 'Oh, I had a nervous breakdown when you left. Tried to kill myself a few times. The best was when I jumped off a cliff! And I had to run away from Washington, because it was just too painful to stay where I was my happiest. Oh, and I own a bordello... or brothel... or whorehouse... or whatever you'd prefer to call it. I actually love it there though. Oh, and I know some of your colleagues. Of course, I know them! Many of our customers and our girls are really close, but I've never heard them mention you though. Now, you probably have heard them mention me... Yeah, I'm the one mysterious one. No one knows if I've slept my way to the top or not. And if you hear them say that they've offered thousands to find out, it's true. But I'm sure you've also heard their disappointing stories... Yeah... It's my little secret. Interesting, huh?'

Yeah right. Like I could actually tell him that.

"Bella?"

I smiled and chortled. "I've been busy the past few years."

. . .

**CPOV**

From a scientific point of view, my species would be considered to be more fascinating than humans.

There seemed to be a rather laughable myth floating through most of society that humans only used ten percent of their brain, which was entirely untrue when it came to most activities of human life. When at rest and lost in thought, this unusual rumor held more merit, yes, but at other times it was quite the opposite. The smallest act of a human getting cereal in the morning proved that little lie wrong. During the acts of walking to retrieve the box and the milk then pouring both, the occipital and parietal lobes, motor sensory and sensory motor cortices, basal ganglia, cerebellum and frontal lobes all are triggered. A storm of neuronal action transpires across almost the whole brain in the span of a few seconds. And as impressive as this was for the human mind, a vampire's brain was even far more complex, due to our heightened senses and, as impossible as it would seem to any human scientist, brain function. Where a human's mind could experience lulls in such storms of such neural activity, a scan of a vampire's brain would remain alight, showing the continual, never-ending functions of our mind and its capacity to handle the deluge of input that the human brain could never experience.

Even now, as my conscious mind focused on what she was saying, I could still hear the words being spoken by the humans passing outside of the store, but unlike a human, it was not the undistinguishable humming sound of speech that my ears and brain heard. No, I could make out every single word as though I were a part of the conversation, and one hundred years from now, I could recall to you every single word of every single conversation that was carried on within my range of hearing as well as the pleasant words of Isabella Swan. And along with that, I was still able to keep up with the tell-tale sounds of her increased heart rate and breathing.

I could also detect hints of strawberry that was more than likely left over from her shampoo coming from her hair, which was a pleasant contrast to a coconut perfume that came from her skin, again a byproduct of some sort of body wash, and her natural floral fragrance. And above it all was the one aroma that had venom pooling in my mouth: the musky scent of her warm sex... It took everything I had to fight that scent, to maintain a look of seriousness, when all I wanted to do was drop to my knees like the rutting male I was in that moment and beg her to spread her legs open and allow me to indulge myself with every drop of her. And I knew that despite my growing arousal that I needed no release, because I could remain on all fours and be content for eternity as long as I was allowed to lap at that hot wet flesh.

Dear God, it was times like these that I was quite thankful for my superior vampiric brain, as it permitted me to focus on whatever she was saying, all the while allowing me to simultaneously imagine pulling her down onto her hands and knees on the carpet and sliding my swollen penis against the slick and engorged folds of her sex. And sweet Heaven above, as petite as she was, I was certain that she would feel as tight as a vice around my rather impressive member. I would most definitely have to be very careful with her the first few times that I mounted her... Wait! At what point in time had I started planning on mounting her?

I had just reintroduced myself to her and despite the instinctive pull toward one another, I was not sure if she would even fully accept me into her life again as anything more than a passing acquaintance, much less accept me as a mate. Here I was, ten minutes into the conversation, and ready to climb atop her and start mating. Oh, I knew that she would be absolutely exquisite beneath my body. I could imagine all the delicious little noises that she would make as I pumped my cock in and out of her tight, little- "You jumped off a cliff?"

Had it not been for the fact that my family's departure had caused such emotional trauma, I would have been far more furious that my mate had attempted such a potentially-fatal stunt; however, my leaving indeed had played a small part in her decline and I could therefore not be angry at her... And of course, now that I had found her again, I would have to make sure to that she knew that she could trust me to look after her and care for her and to not abandon her again, should she want me.

I felt a spike of jealousy when I heard her mention the Black pup, and the images of climbing atop her lush little body and mounting her flooded my mind again, and they refused to disappear for quite some time, even after she mentioned him having finally imprinted. This was mostly due to the fact that my mind had begun to quite inappropriately ponder on whether or not she had mated with any males between our leaving and now. Of course, I had absolutely no right to be wondering about such things, yet my animalistic male pride was not exactly pleased by the idea that some other male could have touched and mounted my female. Though from the complete lack of masculine odor emanating from between her legs, I knew that if she had been intimate with any male, it was not recently-the scent of even a one-night stand would last for quite a few days and the scent of any lengthy coupling would have lasted for far longer than that. So even if my mate had been mounted any time in the past, I could at least be assured that she had not been for many months.

Good. I did not at all like the idea that she had been mating with anyone. Not that it really was any of my business... Yet.

The more she spoke, her story turning from the depression of that first year without my family to the happiness of starting a life and a business of her own, I felt less and less guilty about all the images and scenarios that were running through my brain. As I thought about how tight her tiny body would feel wrapped around mine, as I imagined gripping her hips firmly and lifting her on and off my cock, pleasuring myself with that drenched little hole of hers, I had to work to keep a smile from curling my lips. As it was, I was surprised that she could not see the lust that I knew had to be showing in my eyes. Surely she could see that they were black by now. I could not even see my own reflection at the moment, but I was most certain that they were black. She had to be aware that a vampire's eyes would turn black when aroused.

Either she was completely oblivious to what the color of my eyes signified or she was just being polite and was afraid to approach me about it. Surely she had noticed such a phenomenon with Edward? Then again, it was Edward that I was thinking of. For however reserved I might often seem, my first companion was just a downright prude. Now, I was not entirely certain if I was pleased or displeased that she did not recognize that black eyes could mean something other than upset. Yes, I was rather happy that the vampire that I had considered my son for so long had not become so passionate with her that she saw this from him, but at the same time, I desperately found myself wishing that she realized what I was feeling and would respond to it.

I inhaled deeply and fed my ego with the evidence of her growing arousal, my pride spiking higher at the knowledge that my presence was not only still affecting her, but seemed to be causing the reaction to increase. I licked my lips and watched as her thighs tightened slightly and when I very subtlety sniffed the air, I felt my distended penis twitch in response to the spicy aroma coming from between her legs. Oh yes, this delectable female would soon be mine. Mine to cherish. Mine to worship. Mine to love. Mine to mount. Mine.

Thankfully, I was able to keep my most private thoughts, and my prominent body part, from being noticed while she spoke, though how I was going to keep my raging erection hidden from her when I needed to leave, I was not sure. Despite the animal in me wanting to bend her over one of these chairs and rut wildly with her, I needed her to see and accept me once again as a friend and confident before I even thought about approaching her as a mate. Of course, that same animalistic side of me was tested when, after inquiring about dinner, I was informed that she already had a previous engagement.

This was a woman's polite way of saying "No, because I have a date", and I was not at all pleased with the idea of my mate being in the company of another male without having been mounted by and mated with me previously. However, as I had been the one to walk away with my family all those years ago, I had not a single right to ask her not to and had to sit back and keep my mouth shut when it came to this issue.

When I inquired about another evening and received a more distant and cool reply, I began to rethink my perceptions of her reactions to me... She had seemed rather accepting of my being here with her and her body was clearly responding to mine in a positive way. I had not detected any displeasure in her speech, until my inquiry to meet with her at another time, so I could not entirely comprehend her sudden change in mood. Unless perhaps she was involved with a male and did not wish me to know-but no, she was not aware that she was my mate and had no reason to hide such a thing from me. So perhaps her reaction to me was physically only and she was a much more proficient an actress than in her past, only tolerating my presence now until she could rid herself of me.

That was immensely painful to think about, but alas, my time was quickly coming it to its end and I had to return to the hospital. But I decided almost instantly that since my work ended before hers, at least according to her posted hours, that I would return and offer my apologies if my presence had disturbed her too much; and given that she had been abandoned by me previously, I could understand her wariness and fear. Perhaps upon returning, she would realize that I had no plans of walking away from her and leaving as had happened in the past... However, when I came back a little after three, she was gone, another clerk greeting me in her place.

Needless to say, I was less than happy, and for the first time in all my centuries, I decided to do something that I had never done: I began to track a human.

…

**NOTE:** Nantaimori is less common form of Nyotaimori. Both are what is known as "naked sushi", a food art form that involves using a nude human model as a living platter on which sushi is placed (on leaves to separate the food from the actually flesh). Nantaimori uses male models, whereas Nyotaimori uses female models. I personally have never had the opportunity to go to an event (because of the cost, it usually is done as special business events) where they have Nyotaimori, but I would love to one day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Masks and Desperation**

**BPOV**

"_Oh fuck!"_

I whimpered pitifully as I gripped the large toy and forced it deeper into my aching pussy, thoroughly disappointed when the rotating beads and vibrating plastic ears did absolutely nothing to relieve my sexual discomfort. It was frustrating that, for the first time since turning eighteen, not even my biggest and best toys could help take the edge off, and I would be damned if I were to pretend that I did not know the reason why. No, I could not act like I did not know why I was lying on my back, knees bent and my thighs spread as wide as they could go, completely and utterly unsatisfied. I was painfully aroused and desperately craving a climax that seemed to be so far out of reach, and it was the fault of one person and one person alone: the golden vampire god himself, Carlisle Cullen.

I had already planned on coming in a little early today to meet with my newest girl, who had just come out of her two weeks of training, but after seeing the eternal twenty-three year old, I had decided to come in an hour and a half early to take care of my own personal business. Although, this seemed to have been a complete waste, as I was lying here, desperate and horny and seemingly entirely unable to find release. My frustration was mounting, and when I was unable to bring myself to completion, I resorted to doing something that I had not done in over a year.

Taking two toys, I found one of the few rooms with our specialty machines. Apparently, some men just enjoyed the experience of watching a woman pleasure themselves or getting pleasured by someone, or something, else. Sometimes with a machine, and they were _amazing_ things, these machines. They had an engine that put power tools to shame and could thrust four hundred and twenty times in one minute. That was six per second. Definitely far above average that any human male. It also left one their hands free to roam and play with their body, to stimulate other erogenous zones. All you had to do was screw in your favorite toy to the end of the long metal arm and then you could simply lie back and enjoy.

And that was my plan.

Even though no part of the arm was ever touched by more intimate parts, it was still policy to clean it before and after with alcohol or bleach, and I made sure to scrub it well before snatching another towel out of the small adjoining bathroom and throwing it on the bed. I then grabbed a bottle of Astroglide, lubed up my favorite toy and slid to the edge of the bed, wiping my hand on the towel before aligning my hips with the machine. Once I was perfectly settled, I grab the machine's remote and started on the lowest setting, making sure that I was not too far away or too close—I wanted enough penetration, but I did not need to be injured—and slowly turning up the dial.

Dropping the remote on the bed and the tiny vibrator on my stomach, I allowed my hands to roam over my body, squeezing and kneading my breasts, my fingertips catching the taut nipples, pinching and tugging. The ache between my thighs increased and I groaned, closing my eyes and imaging the immortal blond. "Oh yes... Oh, Carlisle..." I grabbed the remote with one hand, turning up the speed to about eighty percent, then plucked the mini-vibrator off my abdomen and pressed it to my clit. I worked the buzzing bullet against the sensitive nub of flesh rapidly, alternating my movements back and forth, in figure eights, up and down, and soon I felt the familiar and random spasm begin as I hit my peak, the image of the gorgeous doctor in my mind.

As I lay on the bed, like a spineless jellyfish, I could imagine him leaning over me, kissing and nibbling my neck, dragging his tongue over my vein and his lips sucking hard on my flesh. I could easily believe that Carlisle Cullen, a vampire that never tired, would take me again and again until I was too tired to move. Just that thought alone had me desperate again, and I began rocking my hips as fast as I could, seeking relief that seemed to only come with thoughts of a man who was far out of my reach. _"Fuck!"_

The moment that I began coming down from my second high, I turned the machine off and simply lay there panting in exhausted bliss, pondering the vampire that suddenly seemed to have me hot and bothered. I mean, do not get me wrong. I always thought that the undying physician was incredibly attractive, but I could never recall having this type of reaction to him before. No, I could not really say that I personally saw him as the father-figure type; for one, he looked too young to be a father and secondly, he had always had this twinkle in his eye that did not really aid in his attempts to look older. He had still looked twenty-three. However, I had seen him as a friend, a confidant. He had always been warm and caring and supportive, and admiration and friendship was all that I could recall feeling for him at the time... So what had changed?

I was not one hundred percent sure, but I did know that one change needed to occur with me. My clothes. And quickly, according to the time on the clock. I had forty minutes to shower, dress, do my hair and make-up. Yes, despite wearing a mask, I still had to apply make-up since the lower portion of my face was seen. I had tried earlier on in this role to only apply powder to the bottom of my face, but due to the movement of the masks with my facial movements, lines had been seen.

_Come on, Swan! Do you want to give your girl the tour butt-ass naked?_ I rolled my eyes at my internal dialogue and quickly scrubbed the machinery down and cleaned the room, before trotting nude up to the top floor, the Madam's floor, which was nothing more than a private apartment. I swiftly showered, using my blackberry-vanilla body wash as I was in a purple mood today... Okay, so it was not really a 'mood', but I tried to coordinate everything to fit my outfits, including my scents. Since I was wearing a black and purple outfit and mask tonight, I wanted the scent to reflect the look. Perhaps a bit too excessive, but I had found that 'matching scents' went over well with the few men that got to see me through the evening. I also insisted on my girls wearing scents to match whatever scene they were performing, if anyway.

Yes, I was particular about the system we ran in my cathouse. The girls had to come in showered with light, natural make-up and no perfume whatsoever. They all started in simple, identical black dresses. When one was chosen and they changed, they selected a scent from one of the many chests of drawers in the rooms that they felt would coordinate with whatever costume or lingerie the client asked for. After they were finished with the client, they had an hour to shower, relax and then prepare themselves in the black dress they began in. Once again, they were to be scent free. And yes, it may have seemed strict on the surface, but I was determined that each client be treated specially. This was an expensive business, more so than most houses in the state, and since these gentlemen forked out five hundred to three thousand dollars for a limited amount of time, they deserved the best that we could offer, even down to the smallest detail, such as scents and specific make-up and hair if requested—another reason the room's had bathrooms, since the girls had to change, dress and fix their make-up and hair.

All of my make-up, save my lipstick, was light and natural, but my lips I did in a deep wine color. My hair I did in loose curls, pulling the mass high to back of my head, but slightly to the side, allowing the large ringlets to flow down the back of my neck and over my shoulder. I inserted special, crystal-decorated combs to hold my hair in place then chose a matching, cascading necklace of zircon and faux-amethysts. Knowing that we would not open for another hour, I threw on a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt—did not want to ruin the hair with a t-shirt—and began looking at my wardrobe.

The dress that I selected was an elegant, strapless, black satin, mermaid-style gown with polka dots of deep purple and I paired this with simple, black ballet slippers. Picking my mask was a whole different thing. I had an entire separate chest of drawers for my masks alone. I had so many. Different styles, different textures, different decorations, and all in different colors, though the majority revolved around black, reds and purples. Tonight, I would wear a thin, black velvet mask that was lined with crystals, which covered where the short black and purple feathers protruded from, as well as the small peacock feathers at the bottom corners of the velvet. The light plumage would cover part of my cheeks.

Carrying my gown and mask down stairs, I waited for my newest girl, Giselle.

Giselle was barely eighteen years old. I was certain that many people would have a fit at my hiring such a young girl, but the truth of the matter was that I was saving her. Yes, people would argue that point with me, but I felt that I was. She had apparently run away from home at the age of fifteen and had found herself on the streets, doing drugs and selling herself to support her habit. It was only about a year ago that she had heard of my establishment and that I was willing to take in girls like her to help get them off the streets, provided they were of age, drug free and free of any sexual diseases. As she was an addict and under age, I had sent her to a friend that owned a rehabilitation clinic, but she apparently did not last long.

After checking around, I found her on the streets, looking worse than when I first saw her. She claimed that she desperately wanted to turn her life around, but it was this lifestyle that she had become accustomed to. I had explained my reasons of having to turn her down, but promised her that if she really felt the need to stay in such a business until she could get back on her feet that I would take her in, provided that she get clean and wait until she was eighteen. I promised that I and one of my other girls, Jeannette, who had a similar story, would visit her every week and help her in any way that we could. She had agreed, and as promised, I and Jeannette had gone to see the young girl every week. We had even tried talking her into contacting her parents, but she had said that she was too ashamed of what she had become, and I had not pushed the issue, knowing that she might run again if I did.

I had seen cases like hers many times, and all the ones that were legal to take into such a business, I did.

A lot of people would not believe it, would scoff at such a thing, but every one of those girls that I had taken in had slowly gained confidence in themselves, mostly as our clients were not the typical Johns off the streets. The majority of our clients were elegant and respectable men that, despite some of their kinky tastes, always treated our girls like ladies, like people, and not some random fucks. Many of our clients became rather friendly with our girls, sharing stories about their children, wives that would not indulge their fetishes. It was a very unique and warm environment, and the girls became comfortable with having contact with other people, slowly gaining self-assurance and poise and, despite what others might say, respect for themselves. And most of those girls ended up going back to school, getting a 'normal' job and leaving to start their own careers.

Giselle had been impressed to learn that Jeannette was studying to become a medical practitioner, and I personally believed this was what sealed the deal in getting the younger girl to clean up her life. She had seen that it was possible to remove oneself from such a hostile environment and grow. So she had done as I had asked, and tonight, only a few months after her eighteenth birthday, she began her job at the cathouse.

Now, she and the other girls were settled in their rooms, and Cherish, my personal assistant and the receptionist, was in the lobby, while I worked in my office, going over the books and recent medical exams—while we screened our clients, the girls had to be tested regularly as well, and while the law only required every six months, I was extra cautious and required they be tested every three months. This was not only out of concern for our clients, but for my girls as well.

I was not at all surprised when only two hours into the night, Cherish rang back to my office to request my assistance with a new client. I was used to this, as new clients had to be screened for one; but more than that, they were often a bit unsure about what they could and could not do, what was appropriate or even what they wanted. I smiled to myself as I walked out of my office, making sure that my mask was securely in place as I sashayed down the hall in my form-fitting polk dotted gown, but as I turned the corner, my smile disappeared.

Standing in front of Cherish's desk was the one and only golden vampire himself, Carlisle Cullen.

. . .

**CPOV**

The longer I spent tracking her scent through the crowded city, the more frustrated and angry I became. She was _my_ mate and I was thoroughly unhappy at the thought of some male even touching her hand, much less caressing her arms or her shoulders. I did not even want to entertain the thoughts of another male kissing her, because I feared that I might tear the entire city down. She was my mate and to the animalistic part of my nature, that was it; there was no room for argument. Of course, if I were to give into my animalistic nature, then the very next time I saw her, she would be on the ground and I would be on top of her, rubbing myself intimately on every inch of her skin that I could get to and— No. That was not actually something that I could do at this point, because she would be, at the very least, embarrassed. I needed to place myself in Isabella Swan's good graces and keep myself there if I was going to move forward and claim her as my mate.

As much as I hated to admit this, I had to appreciate the tracking abilities of vampires like the deceased James and Demitri Volturi. Tracking an animal in the forest was much easier, due to the lessened population of living creatures. This meant the scents of the forest and the animals were not as abundant. Or strong. Thankfully, Bella's scent was rather unique, and once I had honed in on it amidst the nearly-overwhelming smells, I found it much easier to follow her.

Locating the exact apartment in which she lived was quite simple. The scent emanating from three floors up was powerful and unmistakably hers, and from the lack of a heartbeat from the space that I deemed to be hers, I knew she was not there. From where I was on the ground, I could not smell the odor of any males within that determined area, but yet my instincts drove me to investigate more closely. It was only when I was standing in her living room, after having checked the area to make sure that I was not seen and quickly scaling the wall to force open the window, that I realized that I had just crossed the line from tracking over into the realm of stalking—oh my God, I was turning into Edward!

Of course, the logical part of my brain argued that this was simply a way to learn more about my mate while _en route_ to locate her after her obvious hasty flight from work—yes, she had a date, but did she really need to leave before four to get ready for it? If she had, she should be here, but she was not. And while she had been rather forthcoming about events concerning the remainder of her time in Washington, she had been very careful to not reveal much about her time in Boston and that worried me greatly. Was she too embarrassed? Had she thought that I would judge her in some way? Was she afraid that I would be angry at her or turn my back on her again?

Yes, that was the logical part of my mind. The more pathetic part of my male brain also argued that this could not possibly be construed in a negative light as I was not averse to keeping Bella away from anyone, male or otherwise. At least not until I had her on her hands and knees, her soft backside pressed against me, my thighs spread around hers and my hips lowered as I claimed her from behind... Yes, as long as she had been mounted by me and was covered in my scent, she was free to see whomever she pleased, because she would be mine.

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. _No, that was not at all barbaric. That was absolutely not an atavistic moment whatsoever._ I growled in frustration, mostly because my mind was right. Even Emmett had appeared to be more in control of himself when he had begun mating with Rosalie, but then again, they had initiated mating only days after his change. He had not waited nearly four hundred years for a mate nor had he walked away from his mate and then let her walk away after having just found her.

My growl grew louder as I remembered why I was here, or rather the several reasons that I was here, the biggest being that my mate had fled. There was no doubt in my mind that she was indeed my mate, but either I had been mistaken about being the source of her arousal earlier, which I highly doubted, or she was embarrassed about something, whether it was about her past or about her reaction to my presence. Or she might possibly be afraid. Whatever the reason that she had fled, I was determined to find her and set things right, or to at least make her happy, even if that meant staying out of the picture that was her life.

And speaking of life. It seemed that the only human smells in her apartment were female, but the scents of the others were very faint. I briefly considered that Bella may have chosen to keep female lovers, but the smells were old and there were no linger odors that hinted of sexual activity... Isabella Swan was apparently unattached and, to my extreme delight, sexually inactive. But now I had to find her and keep it that way. With it being this early, I knew there was no possible way that she was on her date—the idea alone set me on edge and made me want to find her and claim her the instant I laid eyes on her—so that still gave me time to find her.

When I began tracking her again though, I quickly began to realize that Bella had not been entirely honest with me, or at least she had not been honest by omission. She was obviously not on a date as her scent led me farther and farther away from Boston and even from the metro area. I could not imagine why she would possibly be going out as far as her scent took me; being out this far was potentially dangerous to a single young woman, or any human being for that matter. The further I went, the more disheartened I became as a horrifying and infuriating thought entered my mind.

She could not be where I was beginning to fret that she was. I had heard my colleagues enough to know that the place was in this direction and I was getting very close to it, but I knew that she could not be there. She just could not be there. And to make absolutely certain, I went several miles past the facility, in the hopes that her scent would continue, that perhaps she was just traveling, but her scent had disappeared... She was in there, and I could not, for the life of me, understand why she would be selling herself. Surely if her business were in financial straits, she would have contacted Charlie or her mother. Her personality and attitude at the bookshop spoke of someone who was physically and emotionally healthy. I knew that in many of these cases, the women had often been abused in the past, whether it be mentally or physically, but Bella had not seemed like that. She seemed happy enough.

So why was she there? And more importantly, how the hell could I convince her to leave and let me help her?

That last question drove me inside before I could even formulate a plan, but once inside, I found that pinpointing her scent was nearly impossible. Her smell seemed to be coming from every part of the building and that broke my heart and infuriated my mind. I could have sworn that she was untouched, or at least that she had not been sexually active for quite some time, but her scent was coming from every direction. It was only her heartbeat that told me that she was in the very back... She was in the back... Oh dear God, this was probably her first night.

I had been so obsessed with my own inner thoughts that I had completely blocked out the young woman speaking to me, and having grown worried, she apparently was calling her Madam to the front. That could actually work in my favor. I would ask to see Bella and then drag her out of there. The moment that I saw her, the moment that Bella was—

The Madam.

I internally questioned if God hated me or not, because there was my mate, dressed in a gown that I really was less than thrilled about her wearing in front of strange and horny men, running a cathouse. God had to hate me, because my mate was surrounded by sex and men who wanted her. I knew they wanted her, because I had heard the rumors. I had heard the amounts. And I could not help but wonder just how many of those propositions she had accepted; though, according to my colleagues, she had never accepted a one of them, something that I knew had to be untrue as women did not become madams without 'working' their way to the top. And she was the _Madam_.

I felt anger roll through me; however, if I were to be honest, it was unwarranted. I, along with the rest of my family, abandoned her before. I had no right to say anything about her life or to even feel this way. But she was _my mate_, and she obviously had to have been touched by hundreds of men in the past. Of course, my anger was not exactly directed at her, but the men who had the nerve to touch _my_ female, _my_ mate. I was furious that anyone would dare bed _my_ mate.

I took a deep breath and bowed my head slightly. I had to get out of there, before I tore the place down around our ears. The animal rage was building within me and I had to destroy something. "If you will excuse me, _Madam."_ I calmly walked out of the building then raced off to the forest to demolish everything in my path, because if I did not, I would kill every single male in that building... and Bella would hate me forever.

.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Trees and Tease**

**BPOV**

Well, that was interesting.

It was obvious that he was furious, though why, I was not entirely sure. I mean, I was not surprised that he would be upset. I had been part of his family and had been like a daughter to him, and I could imagine that he would be just as thrilled at finding me here as Charlie would. He was also probably embarrassed at my knowing that he was here and why. However, he had looked like he had been ready to tear down the entire building and that really worried me. I had never known Carlisle Cullen to get so upset, and he looked like he was about to snap and... well, kill someone.

_Maybe it's because he smelled you creamin' earlier and is acting like every other male on Earth. He has M-I-N-E-itis, just like every single guy in this world. What's his is his. What's yours is his. Vampire or not, he's still a male, hun. Or hadn't we noticed? You might not have, but I sure as hell did!_ I rolled my eyes. Of course, I had noticed. _Well, why are we surprised? You had to change your damn panties when he left, and believe me, he knew it. He had to. How could he not? You practically left the seat wet!_ That was not true. I was not that bad. _Sweet pea, after he left, you grabbed a towel 'just to be sure'._

I tried not to growl aloud at my demented mind's ramblings and turned to Cherish. "When Mister—that guy—comes back—" _We know his name, Swan..._ Yes, but no one here knew that I knew him... "—direct him to my office." My assistant seemed worried since Carlisle appeared to be 'odd', but I assured her that it was all right to bring him to the back and that that I doubt that he would be any trouble, and I knew that he would not be. I knew Carlisle, and she did not. Then again, I obviously did not know the eldest Cullen as well as I thought, as I had never seen him get so angry like that. _Well, there's a first time for everything, hun. Just like yours will be on your desk._

Oh dear God. I just needed to go back to my office and work, and as I seated myself behind my desk, I made sure to remind my brain that Carlisle Cullen was a single, unmated vampire that was nearly four hundred years old. I was fairly certain that even with his upbringing and history that Carlisle would not be abstinent that long, or even after the first half-century. He had not been in Boston that long and it was not entirely surprising that he would make his way here; he was a male after all and with him having an animalistic nature, I could only assume that his sexual drive would be higher than a human's, and knowing that some of the other physicians at the hospital frequented this establishment, he had obviously heard of the cathouse and had decided to make use of the facility. That was all. That was the only reason that the sophisticated vampire would be here.

_Yeah, and you were wishing right that you were one of your girls._ No, even if I was one of my girls, he would not choose me. He thinks of me the same way he thinks about Alice or Rosalie. _Annoying as hell, isn't it, Swan? You're soakin' your lace for Doctor Sex, and he's going to get his marble rocks off with one of the other girls._ Okay, now that I really could not deny, no matter how much I wanted to; although, I was not sure why I felt this sudden attraction to the man who had considered himself to be my ex-boyfriend's father. _Do you mean aside from the fact that he's so fucking hot that he could make a nun sin? And, sweetie, his hands are bigger than your head. And have you paid attention to his height or his feet? That man has gotta be hung like a horse!_

I groaned and dropped my head to my desk. I was not thinking about Carlisle Cullen's—

The sound of thundered echoed all around me, but I knew the truth. The crashing sounds were too close together to be thunder, and I knew that the near continual rumble was not coming from the sky, but from the ground. It was a worrisome sound, because since having met the immortal man, I had never known him to truly get angry, much less act out in displays of said emotion, and even now I could not imagine that he could get this frustrated over my being here. I knew the vampire to rationally discuss things and work out issues with words, so I could not understand why I was hearing the sounds of chaos that masqueraded as the fury of nature instead of the fury of a blond vampire god.

_I'm telling you, Swan,_ my brain argued with me, _he smelled you getting all juicy for him and he probably wanted some right then—damn cock-blockin' e.r. full of cock-blockin' sick people. And you the worst part, hun? Knowing Doctor Sex, I'd bet he came looking for you and you weren't there. He probably wanted some right then and there too and was disappointed when the pink, velvet sausage wallet wasn't available—_good God, help me!—_so he came here to use his thrill drill. And now he's pissed off at finding his sweet cherry pie here._

I propped my head up in my hands and sighed. "I feel a migraine coming on."

"Madam?"

I looked up to see Cherish standing in my doorway with Doctor Carlisle 'Sex' Cullen, the man who seemed to be the most recent thorn in my side. Or brain. _Yeah, but you'd really love for him to be the thorn in your—_ "Please have a seat," I said in a perfectly practiced English accent as I directed the vampire from my past to a chair in front of my desk. "Now, Mister...?"

"Doctor," he corrected me, his voice low and dark. No, he was most definitely not happy. "Doctor Cullen."

_I told you! You let a man get a whiff of the vertical bacon burger and then he doesn't get it, he's not gonna be happy when he thinks that someone else is chowing down on his pusstrami sandwich._ Jesus H. Christ in a handcart! I was not going there. I was never going there. I was at work and as much as I absolutely loathed the idea of letting any of the girls touch my vampire—_since when did he become our vampire?_—I had a job to do. Of course, I had time to sway his mind during the day, because we screened our clients. _Yeah, but you know that he'll 'pass' with flying colors and he'll be giving the meat wrench to some other girl._

No, I really did not like that idea at all.

"Doctor Cullen," I began softly, noticing that his eyes were black as the darkest night, "I am not sure if you are aware of this or not, but we have a screening process that all new clients must go through. This helps us weed out any hopefuls that maybe have any transmittable sexual diseases. I am sure, given your profession and the business of this establishment, that you will agree that this is not at all an unreasonable request of potential consumers." He regarded me silently and it had me squirming, amongst other things. "However, if you would like to share any certain preferences or tastes that you may have, fetishes or scenarios that you like to employ, this will help narrow down the selection of girls, as some of our girls do not engage in certain practices, while others are more open and experienced with adventurous play. This information will also allow me to provide you with the amounts that you might be charged, not including time, of course. I should also tell you that we accept almost every form of payment, but we usually recommend cash for those of your status, simply because we do not wish to be on the receiving end of an unhappy wife's rage."

His lips curled into a smirk. "I can assure you that will not be a problem in my case, but I am curious about one thing, Madam." When I indicated for him to go on, his smirk turned into a dark and knowing, devilish grin. "What is your price?"

I blinked. I was not at all surprised that he had heard the rumors of the Virgin Madam, but what was so shocking is that, game or not—and it had to be a game, Carlisle Cullen had just propositioned me.

. . .

**CPOV**

I was miles out into the forest, so no one would see the destruction that I was causing and the most that anyone would hear would be the sounds of distant 'thunder' as I tore into the trees around me, leaving dust and splinters in the air and on the ground. I was furious, because my mate was a madam, which meant that she had been intimate with numerous men before. Even if my colleagues were right and she no longer entertained company, even if I could not smell the scent of copulation on her, she would have had to have been active in this... field in the past. It was well-known knowledge that madams were women who had paid their dues as it were, and I truly could not imagine how Bella Swan would have come to own such a place without having made her own... contributions to the facility.

I took a deep breath that I really did not need and surveyed the damage around me, trying to keep in my mind that I had, in truth, lost all rights to feel such away about the young woman that my soul recognized as its mate. At least until I could claim her and mount her. I just had to content myself with the knowledge that she had obviously not been intimate with anyone for several months and from the way the receptionist easily regarded Bella when she had rang her led me to believe that she had been in her position for quite some time... But it had only been five years since our family had left her, and that did not seem like enough time to... Surely my colleagues could not actually be right about her history?

From what I understood the cathouse had been around for several decades now, so how on Earth would Bella have come to run the place without ever having worked? The receptionist clearly had no qualms with Bella, so had she replaced the entire staff at the facility? If not, how did the others get along with Bella? And more importantly, at least to my sanity, why had Bella turned down so much money? I understood that most madams did not offer their services under normal circumstances, but from what I had been told, Bella had been offered rather large sums of money from men simply to ascertain her supposed virginity. So why had she said no? I was not sure many women would to the amounts she had been presented with. And while I felt a small amount of loathing directed toward my own self, it was short lived, as I desperately needed to know my mate's sexual status and whether or not she would truly turn down that much money. Then again, I doubted that she would accept any offers from me, seeing as she knew me personally. However, there was no chance in Heaven or Hell that I was going to use anyone else to find out.

I had to know. I needed to know. Even if I had to return night after night to make certain that she was not mounted. Starting tonight.

And God help her if she ever gives into my propositions.

The moment that I was back in the lobby, I focused all of my senses on her and I could hear her breathing and heartbeat coming from the area that I now knew to be her office. I honed in on the scent of emotions pouring from her as well as the spicy aroma of her sex. She was obviously confused and frustrated, not to mention immensely aroused. The barest sounds of her shifting let me know that she was becoming uncomfortable due to her excitement, and I could just imagine that her secret pink lips were swollen and slick from her heightened desire. She was probably aching painfully and her clitoris was probably engorged and sensitive. Oh, just the barest flick or two from my fingertips would have her moaning my name.

As her assistant led me back toward her room, the more and more sure I became that my earlier thoughts were correct and that her state of need stemmed from a desire to mate with me; and by God, if she accepted my proposition, I would have her on her hands and knees within a second and I would be atop her in even less time. I could practically feel her warm flesh between my thighs, her soft round ass pressed against me as I claimed what was mine... If she said no, I would be both grateful that she had turned down my offer and frustrated that I could not release myself inside her tight, wet hole, which only meant that I would be at her shop tomorrow, and the day after and the day after that.

I was making it my mission to stake my claim on my mate.

God help her.

She invited me to sit and I found myself practically growling aloud in anger at her pretence to not recognize me, not specifically for that specific reason, but because I realized that she thought that I was there for the use of one of her girls.

It was now apparent to me that Edward had told the girl very little about vampires, aside from the obvious, because if he had, a girl as intelligent as Bella was would have easily realized earlier that afternoon that I was rutting for her. Almost frantically so... But then again, I had the opportunity earlier to alert her to my position. Yes, I would have been running a very high risk of frightening her, angering her, causing her to never want to see me again, but surely it would have been far less awkward than this situation.

When she referred to me as a 'potential consumer', it took all of my strength not grab and consume _her_. Instead, I leveled her with a lustful look and could not stop the edges of my mouth from twitching into a victorious smile when her heady scent filled the room. _Oh yes, Isabella Swan. Your mind and your heart may have yet to recognize it, but your body knows full well to whom it belongs. It responds so well to my proximity, soaking you the moment I enter a room, preparing you to be mounted by me._ As she squirmed, I listened to the tell-tell sounds of the damp fabric of her underwear rubbing against her most private parts, and I wanted to rip them away and bury my face in that scrumptious heat. I heard her swallow and I struggled to keep myself under control, pushing away the thoughts of her sucking on my cock while I lapped at that fountain like parched dog.

I heard her mention an 'unhappy wife' and I smirked, knowing that she was having a go at me. She knew damned well that I was alone in Boston and unwed. "I can assure you that will not be a problem in my case, but I am curious about one thing, Madam." When she asked me to continue, I could not stop my lips from curling into a full-blown leer. "What is your price?"

She clearly was not expecting that. Her heart skipped several beats and I saw the blood in her face slowly creeping down, her blush having finally appeared from beneath her mask and spreading down her neck. I was not at all surprised when she informed me that her services were unavailable, so I pushed farther and felt a myriad of emotions flood me when she turned down the generous amount and directed me to the door.

It seemed that I would be visiting the unmasked version of Isabella Swan tomorrow morning and this mysterious version of her tomorrow evening.

I would not be denied my mate much longer.

.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Pavement and Pain**

**BPOV**

After several hours of work at the cathouse and a good night's sleep, the only thing that I could focus on this morning was that Doctor Carlisle Cullen had propositioned me and that maybe, just maybe, the Sexpire Extraordinaire had actually been interested in my services and was not just using me as a means of escape. I mean, he could have offered me the amount in the hopes that I would turn him down because of who he was and that would have allowed him to depart without asking for the services of another. As much as I would have liked to believe that he somehow miraculously knew who I was and sought me out, I knew the truth. My identity was secret and he came seeking companionship with one of my girls.

For some strange reason that thought disturbed me, _really_ disturbed me. The idea that it would be one of my girls that felt his touch, saw his body in all its glory, would filled by him and would share the most intimate act any creatures of this Earth could share infuriated me and tugged at my heart. Images of him with Giselle or Lexus danced unbidden through my mind, and I could have sworn that I felt steam pouring out of my ears as I created scenarios of him gently guiding Giselle to lie on her back, him spreading her thighs and tasting her the way I wanted him to taste me. I felt my hands shake violently as I concocted ugly visions of Lexus or Jeannette being on their hands and knees, clawing at the sheets as he mounted them from behind.

I knew that having a heightened animalistic nature probably meant that he would more than likely be inclined to... mate... in such away, but the fact that he could do so with just any one of my girls at any given time was just too much for me.

My shivering increased and I was no longer able to hold onto my keys, but they never hit the pavement. Instead, I watched a pale hand with long slender fingers lift them into my vision.

"Isabella."

_Fuck me running!_ I gaped at the golden god. _No, seriously. Maybe if we run, he'll chase us down, pounce and mount! C'mon, Swan. It's worth a shot! Try it!_

The idea of Carlisle Cullen hunting me down like prey and pouncing me in the middle of the woods, the city, even in the middle of the fucking street right behind us, had me shifting uncomfortably in a pathetic attempt to ease the ache that had suddenly flared to life deep inside. Good God almighty, what was wrong with me? Because this was actually painful. It was painful to the point that it seemed like I could feel it in my entire body. It was painful to the point where I felt like I could burst out into tears of frustration. And dear Lord help me, if I could not get control of myself soon, I was liable tell him that he did not have to worry with money, that I was soaked and ready to go and that I would gladly stick my wanton ass in the air for him any damn time he wanted.

"Isabella?"

Shit! Just how long had I been staring like a damn moron?

The tone of his voice sounded genuinely concerned, but there was a slight twinkle in those black eyes that said that he knew exactly what was wrong... Wait! His eyes were black. Why were they black? Had he not fed? Well, that was just a stupid question. This was Carlisle Cullen. He would never let himself go unfed. He did not seem angry. Yesterday afternoon, he seemed far from angry. They had been black the night before too. He had obviously been angry then, but the circumstances in the afternoon and night were different. The only similarity that I could contrive in all of them was my pitiful state of...

_Jesus Fucking H. Christ!_

I could actually hear my brain tell me 'I told you so', but I ignored its demand to look down. I wanted to look down. Dear God above, I really wanted to look down. No, that was a lie. I wanted to reach down. I wanted to reach down and grabbed that hard c—

I heard him clear his throat and felt the heat flood my face. _Jesus, Swan! It's bad enough that he can smell and hear the juice running down your thigh, but to let the man see you act like a fucking—_ I refused to let my mind finish that sentence and instead argued that I was not that obvious. _Sweet pea, when you turn and open the door, tell me you aren't about to drip on the damn pavement._ I turned quickly to hide my embarrassment, but I was shaking so badly, now from pure sexual frustration instead of the previous fury, that I had trouble getting the key in the lock. _That's not the only key you want in your lock._

I was seriously going to find away to remove my brain and give it a good, solid drop-kick. Right before I had a good cry over the mortifying situation that I now found myself in. No, it was not that I was embarrassed to know that Carlisle wanted me or that he knew that I wanted him, but it was disgustingly shameful to be acting as silly as a fourteen year old girl staring at a Justin Bieber poster on her wall and even more humiliating for being unable to control my body's reactions. My body was acting just like a damned cat waving its tail in the air for any stray male to mount... Of course, that response to any male would not have been so bad, because if I was just constantly getting wet for everyone, it would have been obvious to him, I was sure. But I was not responding to any random male, I was responding to _him_. And I would be damned to the lowest levels of Hell if he did not know this.

_Why the fuck can't I open the door?_

"Here," he cooed in my ear as he moved to stand directly behind me, pressing his body tightly against mine, his erection pressing into my lower back. He slowly slid his hands down my arms, pulling one back down to my side and moving the other to cover my own hand, and he helped maneuver the key and turn it. When I heard the click, his breath tickled my ear. "Are you quiet all right, Isabella?"

_No, you fucking horndog from Hell!_ I mentally shouted. _I'm creaming like a squashed cherry and you know it!_ I about choked when I felt him shift against me a few times. _Holy fuck almighty! Is he rubbing his dick on me? Oh screw it, Swan! Just lift a leg and beg him to take you right here on the sidewalk. He has enough money to keep you out of prison for public for public indecency. He's rearing to go. You're dripping down your thighs. Open the door and go at it!_

I refused to give into my body. I was not just going to drop and beg for it simply because he was a hot horny male. He came to the cathouse for a reason and it obviously was not for me. He did not even know that I would be there until he arrived. And I was not going to be some play toy for the immortal doctor for his Boston run, only to be left behind when it was time for him to move on. I was not going to let myself hope and care when there was no reason to, since he was simply an unmated vampire who had not found his mate yet, as was obvious by his appearance at the cathouse. Yes, it was becoming apparent that he wanted me physically, but I was still not his mate. He was a male, one whose baser nature was more prevalent than a human's, and he was only reacting to my arousal, just like any male animal around a female that wanted to be mounted.

Do not get me wrong, I wanted to. Dear God in Heaven, I wanted to rip off my clothes and prance around naked, shake my ass at him and hope that he tackled me to the floor and ravaged me. Alas, I could not actually do that though.

I managed to stumble inside and start the coffee before he caught my attention. And fuck me twelve ways to Tuesday—he looked so _hot_ leaning against the counter in jeans and a tight, buttoned-down blue shirt... Wait! Why was he in jeans? "Um, don't you have work today?" I asked, a little more harshly than I had actually intended.

He smirked, and I wanted to slap it right off of his face. "No. I am not on call. I am all yours for today, Isabella."

I winced and turned my back to him, busying myself with the things that needed to be done in the shop before customers started drifting in.

Yes, that probably should have excited me, but it did not. Today was the key word. Hell, maybe even tomorrow, maybe even next week, but I doubted that sentence would ever included the words 'for eternity' or 'forever' or 'always'. _Oh, c'mon, Swan! Do you really need a forever to be happy? Look at him! Lick and suck on that gorgeous, sculpted hunk of vanilla cream while you can!_ I shook my head in exasperation.

"Isabella, is something wrong?"

I shook my head again, but this time to him and not to my own internal rambling. "Nope! Mornings are always just busy, y'know. The cooking and the tidying up everything left from the night before."

He hummed. "So you do not stay until closing time? Do you have an assistant who normally works in the evenings?"

I blinked. "Um, not normally." I turned to gaze at him, curious as to why he would ask that. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I stopped by here after I left the hospital." He smiled softly, though his eyes had a wicked look. "I know that you said that you had a previous engagement, but I was hoping to see you before you closed for the evening. I was quite disappointed to find you missing."

I blinked again.

Carlisle had come looking for me?

I blinked a third time.

Carlisle had come looking for me. But not just here.

Carlisle Cullen had followed me to the cathouse for _me!_

.

**CPOV**

I made sure to call out of work today, claiming that I had received word that there was a pressing issue with a family member from out of town who was in a very tight position, and that I needed to get off of work so I could take control of and keep a firm grip on the situation. That was all they needed to know. They did not need to know that the pressing issue had been straining against my trousers all night and into the morning and that the family member was indeed my member. I was certain they would not be impressed that the very tight position was my lying on my back with my knees bent in my king-size bed, my jeans undone, my erection exposed to the balmy air and my long fingers wrapped around my thick phallus.

I imagined filling Bella's tight and soaked hole, her satiny heat fitting around me like a glove, and began slowly and firmly pumping my hand up and down the cool throbbing length. I closed my eyes and envisioned her warm soft thighs wrapping around me, and I could see her in my mind as she rose above me and then impaled herself quickly on my eager cock. I groaned as my dream began riding me vigorously, her pert breasts bouncing with every thrust downward. I pictured bracing myself on one arm and leaning up to latch onto a pink ripe nipple, biting ever so gently and watching the sensitive flesh stretch as her frenzied movements caused tugging. I suckled hard, harder than any human, and I heard her sweet cries and desperately pleas echo in my ears. I felt her scorching juices dripping down my dick and pooling on my cold flesh as she became wild and frantic. I felt my balls drawing up and groaned in pleasure and immense frustration as jet after jet of icy venom sprayed forcefully between my fingers and onto my shirt and jeans.

I lay on the bed and panted needlessly, amazed at the intensity of my release. In all of my centuries, whether pleasuring myself or indulging myself in the physical embrace of a female, I had never climaxed so hard and it was all because of Bella Swan, or at least the fantasy of Bella Swan. God almighty, how would I respond when I actually had her flesh against mine, when I was buried to the hilt in that delicious drenched passage? If I were to be honest with myself, I was not quite sure that I could wait too long to find out.

I swiftly changed clothes and made my way to her shop, stopping across the street to observe her.

Her posture was tense, and even though I was not an empath and could not detect the more delicate emotions like Jasper Whitlock, I could sense her anger from the other side of the road and I immediately worried that this frustration was directed at me for entering her cathouse. She had not seemed so distressed the night before. Quite the opposite actually. I could not fathom why she would be so furious at my presence at her establishment. Of course, she might be angered that I, of all people, offered her money. But then again, she had not seemed so at the time... Or perhaps she was so distressed because she thought that I had been there for another woman.

My lips curled into a devious smirk. _Oh, Isabella Swan... You delectable and silly female. As if any other could compare._

She began shivering, and I knew that her rage was growing, so I hurriedly made my way across the street, only several feet away when she dropped her keys in her ire. She cursed and sighed heavily, and I could smell the increase of salt, a sure sign that her eyes were watering. She dropped her head into her hands and shook it, clearly upset with by whatever thoughts were plaguing her.

I wanted to wrap her in my arms right then and there, kiss away her tears and tell her that I belonged to her alone, but I was certain that would be too much for her at the exact moment. Instead, I simply retrieved her keys and whispered her name, and the affect that I had on her was instant and obvious. I was hit with the heady aroma of the spicy delight between her thighs and I had to swallow back the copious amounts of venom that my body was suddenly producing. Unfortunately, there was nothing that I could do about the other area that was rapidly being filled with my unique poison.

"Isabella?" I repeated her name, concerned yet internally crowing with pride at her dazed reaction. Oh this unknowing temptress unquestionably belonged to me, whether she realized it or not. No creatures on this Earth reacted quite so strongly or so quickly to each other but true mates. I could only watch, amused and aroused, as she struggled with the doorknob before taking pity on her and all but purring in her ear, "Here." I pressed my body against hers, making sure that she could feel my hard and heavy cock against the top of her luscious ass as I unlocked the door for her. I could hear her heart pounding furiously and could not stop my grin, though thankfully she could not see it. "Are you quite all right, Isabella?"

God forgive me, but as soon as the words left my lips, I dropped one hand to her hip, effectively holding her to me, and began ever so slightly rubbing my cock against her. I waited for her to scream at me, or slap me, but could only smell the increase of her desire, which spurred me further. I pushed my erection solidly into her lower back and ground more forcefully against her, hearing the damp sounds of the material of her underwear as she squirmed and growling silently in victory at her gasp. _Good. Now her body knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that it belongs to me._

Soon her mind and her heart would recognize it too, probably much sooner than she could ever dream of. As it was, I was restraining myself from shoving her down on to her hands and knees, wrenching those gorgeous thighs apart and plunging my aching member in. God, how I wanted to bend my body over hers as I mounted her, to wrap one arm around her waist and anchor her to me, to make it impossible for her to escape my grasp, to keep her succulent body stuck to mine.

Yes, I held myself in check and watched as she flitted behind the counter of the in-shop café to begin the coffee. When she turned around, I thought her eyes were about to pop out of her head and simply grinned at her reaction. It was rather comical. Of course, when I stopped to think about it, I really could not blame her for her reaction as she had never seen me out of the stricter attire that I wore as a physician. Even my previous casual wardrobe in Forks had been more sober—Alice knew that as a public father-figure that I had to look older, and by God, she had done her job in picking out the proper clothing a little too well.

"Don't you have to work today?"

My Isabella was quite lovely when frustrated. Her brown eyes seemed to glow, and I was entirely certain that were she a kitten, her fur would be standing on end.

I smirked. "No. I am not on call. I am all yours for today, Isabella."

I must admit that I was rather bewildered at her grimace. She looked disappointed, and for what seemed like the one hundredth time, I found myself wondering if I was misreading the signals that her body was putting off. Her body was practically screaming that she wanted to be mounted, but she looked as though my words hurt her. I was actually afraid to ask what was amiss, but knew that I must. "Isabella...is something wrong?"

"Nope! Mornings are always just busy, y'know. The cooking and the tidying up everything left from the night before."

Her tone as she spoke was too blithe and careless to be real, and I found myself growing a bit exasperated with her for brushing me off so casually. She was clearly upset and clearly lying. Although, there was one key phrase in her words that peaked my curiosity. "So you do not stay until closing time? Do you have an assistant who normally works in the evenings?" She looked genuinely surprised and when she inquired as to why I wanted to know, I answered her calmly. "I stopped by here after I left the hospital." I gave her a reassuring smile, but made sure that I expressed my underlying meaning with my eyes. "I know that you said that you had a previous engagement, but I was hoping to see you before you closed for the evening. I was quite disappointed to find you missing."

She blinked several times. It was like she was trying to consciously piece together a puzzle and I knew the moment she solved it, because her eyes went wide.

_Oh yes, Isabella... I came looking for you._ I sniffed the air and felt my cock jerk in response. _Yes, my beautiful treat, soak yourself for me._ I licked my lips and chortled internally at the barest whimper that issued passed her lips before plucking up her hand and kissing the back of it. "Isabella, please allow me the joy of taking you to dinner." I knew that she would hesitate and say no and she did not disappoint, offering to go to lunch instead. I turned her hand over and kissed her palm then allowed my cool lips to wrap around the flesh above her radial pulse, which fluttered wildly. I suckled gently for a few moments, enjoying the way her eyes went wide with surprise and the softest sounds of her panting. "But, Isabella, lunch is far less... intimate. Dinner is more romantic, do you not agree, my delight?"

She gasped, and I briefly pondered if I had crossed a line that I should not have crossed. My mind was put at ease when her eyes hooded and she sighed quietly. "I... I don't normally... I usually have plans at night and it's... I don't normally break them."

I kissed her pulse again and flicked my tongue over her skin, tracing a blue vein. "Please?" I had never, in my entire existence, purred for any being on Earth, but for Isabella Swan, I did. I smiled slightly at her reaction and made my request again. "Please, Isabella?"

She was mine. She gave in.

.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Confessions and Concessions**

**BPOV**

Was I out of my blessed mind? I had to be. There was no other reason. There could not be. I was far too mature to allow the diamond mine to make my brain's decisions. Okay, that was a pitiful lie, because I had most definitely allowed my hooha to make this one. I should not have. It was a stupid and insane idea, because even though Doctor Sexpire was a glorious hunk of vanilla-y sexual goodness, he was not in any way serious about me. I mean, it was why Edward and I did not work—vampires and humans just did not work in the long run. So, I knew that the walking, talking wet dream come to life was not contemplating me as a potential mate.

Actually, my vagina was to blame for this whole mess. If it had stopped trying to work its way out of my jeans in its need to devour the gorgeous immortal, he would not have smelled me creaming like a squashed donut. Damn hooha. Why could it have not listened to the rational part of my brain? Why? Carlisle was not human. I knew the moment that I started dripping that he would smell it and I should have known that, along with the rest of his animal instincts, he would want to hop on and ride. So why, of all times, did my cooch want to grow a mind of its own now? It never had before. I had seen many damn fine males since hitting puberty and my vagina had not been interested in any one of them since the Cullens left. Why now? Why this one? Why the untouchable golden god?

Okay. I could not panic. I needed to get my head on straight.

I could allow the vampire to take me to dinner. I could tell him that things could go no further and remind him that I had been left by his family and that I did not want to repeat the experience. I could suggest that, perhaps, reestablishing an acquaintanceship was probably not the most judicious thing that we could do. I could also have Cherish deal with him if he ever came back to the cathouse. I knew that she was capable of handling my job when necessary, like the time that I had to have my appendix out. So that could be my game plan. I could let Carlisle know that I was not at all interested.

_If you aren't interested, sweet pea, then why are you wearing that little red number?_ I argued with myself that the flowing, knee-length, halter-top dress was the best that I had and that I simply wanted to look appropriate. _Appropriate for what? Swan, the only thing that dress is appropriate for is screaming 'Let's skip dinner! Throw me on the floor then pound me through it!'_

I rolled my eyes at my reflection in the mirror as I finished applying my mascara. "My dress is not that bad," I protested aloud to myself. "It comes to my knees. It's not tight and it's not low cut." _But it's red. Red is a 'fuck me' color._ "It's the color of love." _No. That's pink. Red is passion. Or 'fuck me'._ "I am not having this conversation with myself." _Oh that's good. Embrace the craziness. You're going to need it for the judge!_ I did not even have a chance to respond to that, because my brain continued my mental diarrhea. _You know that if you can pawn off Doctor Dilf to one of the girls, you will kill them the moment their done._ "I would not kill anyone. And he doesn't exactly qualify as a dilf anymore, since he's not playing daddy." _He can play daddy with you!_ I practically slammed the cap back onto my lipstick tube. "This conversation is officially over."

I had not been in my living room an entire five minutes when a knock came from the opposite side of my apartment door and I suddenly realized that I really should have worn jeans. I really should _not_ have shaved, my legs or my pits. Sadly, the veejayjay had been waxed last week and I was still clean. I should have worn granny panties instead of the red lacy bra and boy shorts set.

_You are just begging to be mounted. You know that, right? I mean, Doctor Sex already got a good whiff of you worked up like a bitch in heat and like any other animal, he's going to be sniffin' around until you either stick your ass in the air for him to use a few times or until you turn around and bite the hell out of him and make him leave you alone. Which do you think your clothes are leaning toward, sugar?_

I growled internally and reminded my brain, and my vagina, that they were the ones who got us into trouble in the first place and to shut the hell up so I could get us out of it. However, I went slightly dumb when I opened the door and I knew that it was going to be very hard—oh dear God, that was not the most fitting word to be using at the moment—to work my way out of this one.

Of course, he would have to show up looking like a living orgasm.

He wore nicely fitting jeans—by nicely fitting, I mean that they showed off every impressive detail of his body—and a beautiful tailored shirt in the darkest shade of blue that was stretched across those stunning shoulders. Oh those shoulders, and the arms attached to them, were utterly scrumptious. I would give absolutely anything to see those shoulders and arms bare, to see those seemingly-marble muscles tense and vibrating as he braced himself above me while he fucked me wildly.

Jesus H. Christ in a handcart! I really needed to get myself under control and I needed to do it right now.

"Hello, Carlisle. Do you want to come in?" _Oh, well that was intelligent! You want to push him away, but you invite him in! Do you know if you were born blond? Oh my God! Did he just do what I think he did?_ I flushed when he stared me straight in the eyes and sniffed the air blatantly. _Spank me cross-eyed! He did. Honey, he's not playing now. He wants you to know that he wants a taste of the garden of eatin'! Give it up, honey. It may hurt like hell when he leaves, but you might as well hit your knees right now. How can you say no to_ that_? Look at him! He's like a god and he can't get tired. He could go all night. Strip now. Think later!_

I stepped back and allowed him entrance to my small home. I knew that it was the most dumbass move that I would ever make, but God forgive me, I just could not think with the logical part of my brain right now. The moment that I closed the door and turned around, I found myself being backed against it as he towered over me and I let out the softest whimpered when he caressed my cheek and breathed my name. "Carlisle..."

I meant to tell him that I could not do this, that I could not let him back into my life. I meant to. I really did. But instead, my fingers were entangled in his brilliant, silky locks of gold and my lips were attached to his, his tongue darting in and out of the moist cavern of my mouth. I thought he had the most exquisite taste ever, which was not too surprising. Edward's kiss had always tasted somewhat sweet. Carlisle's kiss, though, was divine. It was like ambrosia and I just wanted to drink him in forever.

_No. No, no, no, no..._ Almost immediately, I recognized how wrong this was. What the hell was wrong with me? Really? What the fuck was I thinking asking him in? For that matter, what the fuck was I thinking when I said that I would go out with him. I knew that I could not become attached. I could not become some toy only to be broken again. Edward had said that I was just a distraction from the Cullens then and that was all that I would be to Carlisle now. I was not going to let that happen again. I let out a sad whine and pushed away. "I can't," I mumbled against his cool and tempting lips. "Carlisle, I can't."

He blinked owlishly at me, looking highly confused. "What is the matter, Isabella? Are you unwell?"

He really did sound like he had absolutely no clue as to why I stopped him, which was going to make this so much harder. I should have just said no in the first place, because this was a huge mistake that was just getting embarrassing and would probably end up getting messy by the end of it. "Carlisle, look... I'm sorry. This was a mistake. I'm sorry. I just can't do this."

He blinked again and his lips parted slightly. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was too dumbfound to formulate the words. "Bella, I am not entirely certain what y—"

"Carlisle, I am so very sorry," I said, wincing with embarrassment as I did so, "but I really think you should leave. I shouldn't have agreed to going out tonight. This is a huge mistake and I don't want another repeat of Forks. I'm sorry."

There. I said it. Yes, I had just made a complete ass out of myself before doing so, but I said what I needed to say...with a free taste of what I would never experience again. Now, he could go and I could continue on with a safe, little Cullen-free world.

"Forgive me, Isabella," he spoke with unusual slowness, whether it was because his normally superior vampiric brain was unable to grasp what was going on around him or he was trying to calm me down, I was not sure. When he took a step backward, I realized that it was probably the latter. He was obviously trying to relax his posture and seem less imposing. "I keep forgetting that Edward was not exactly forthcoming about the more private details of vampires. I should have remembered that my...behavior...this morning may not have been as clear to you as it would have been to another vampire or someone who had been given more knowledge of such actions." He took another step away from me. "Might we sit and talk?" He looked at me pleadingly when I worried on my lower lip hesitantly. "Please, Isabella?"

Sitting could not hurt, right? It was sitting. He just wanted to talk. Talking was okay.

I made sure to sit on the opposite end of the couch, as far away from his as possible without being horrendously obvious. Okay, so it was still horrendously obvious, but it was better than sitting in the comfy chair that would place the coffee table between us.

Before he could open his mouth to speak, I butted my way in, desperately needing to get my thoughts aired before he could talk me out of my decision to get rid of him. "Carlisle, I am sorry that I lost control of myself. I understand that your nature is...well...I understand that my reaction caused..." I wanted to burst out into tears. This was the most humiliating moment of my life and I had some doozies before. "Edward told me that I was simply a distraction to your family," I said, trying to take a different route, "and I know that in a few years that you'll move onto somewhere else." I wanted to add 'someone' else, but refrained from doing so. "I don't want to have to deal with the repercussions of you walking out again. I loved you all very much and it really hurt when you all left. I don't want to get attached again. I don't want to be some sort of fleeting bit of entertainment to you."

Dear God, I was in the middle of a nightmare and I could not seem to wake up.

His mouth was hanging open again, and if the circumstances were different, it might have been a lot funnier to see the normally dignified Carlisle Cullen gaping. When he finally recovered, he swallowed deeply. "Isabella, despite my rather heated response to you, I can assure you that my reasons for inviting you to dinner tonight was not so I could bed you and convince you to become some sort of...sexual pet like you are obviously envisioning." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly as frustrated as I was, though why he was frustrated, I did not know. He sighed and glanced back at me, his citrine eyes looking regretful. "Isabella, I will never be able to apologize enough for the way that we left you, but I can give you my word that there will not be a 'repeat of Forks', as you say. When I leave Boston, I assure you that I will not be going alone."

Now it was my turn to blink and be utterly clueless. "Um..." was the only thing that I could say.

"Isabella, when I met you, you were a seventeen year old girl," he continued. "It would have been highly inappropriate for me to do to you then what I did to you this morning."

I flushed as I remembered him rubbing his erection against my lower back. "What exactly were you doing?"

"The exact terminology is unimportant, but it was one of the many ways that I could mark my territory."

I had heard that wrong, I was sure. "Excuse me?"

His lips twitched. "It was, believe it or not, a more subtle way of marking my mate."

He said 'my mate'.

I rose to my feet, went to my kitchen and grabbed a bottle of white wine and a glass. I came back, sat down, poured a glass and gulped it down. I plunked the bottle and the empty glass on the coffee and turned to find him watching me, bemusement clearly written on his face. "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?"

He smirked. "I said that it was, believe it or not, a more subtle way of marking my mate."

I nodded. "I thought that was what you said. Then why—"

His golden eyes lost their playful gleam and the sudden change in mood worried me.

"Isabella, there were several reasons why I held my silence about our bond, mostly due to appropriateness. I must also confess that while I did not formulate the idea to leave, at that exact time, I thought it to be the best course of action as you were in immediate danger." He paused and studied me intently, waiting for me to explode, I suppose, as everyone knew that I hated people doing what they thought was best for me. "You will probably not believe this, but I truly had not planned for us to stay away for so long. I had honestly been of the belief that once tempers had calmed and the dust had settled so to speak that the family could be persuaded to return. I learned very quickly that the situation and the personal relationships were entirely unsalvageable. I briefly thought about returning—"

"Why didn't you?"

I had the distinct feeling that if he could blush, he would.

He glanced at the floor for only a second before turning his attention back to me. "We abandoned you, Isabella. _I_ abandoned you. All of us, save Edward, walked away without even a goodbye. You had no reason to forgive any of us, and after all that you had previously been through because of us, I was not sure if you would be able to see past such a terrible departure. Not many would. And I believed that my reappearance would only cause you more pain and, if I am to be entirely honest, the possibility of rejection, though well deserved, would have hurt more than simply never being close to you again. In only being apart from you, I still had hope. Had I returned and admitted all of my truths only to be rejected by you, I could not have survived that," he said softly. "And I am well aware that by leaving you, Isabella, I rejected you. I am equally aware of how perfectly ironic the justice in your possible rejection of me is. You will never hear me deny that my actions concerning not returning were the epitome of selfishness."

He was suddenly at my feet and he stared up at me, directly into my eyes, and I was taken aback by the sincerity I saw there. "All I can say, Isabella, is that I will forever be remorseful in regards to my deplorable choices and beg your forgiveness." His jaw tightened and pained resolve flickered in his eyes. "However, if you wish for me to leave you and to remain outside of your new life, I will accept your decision and depart without any disruption."

I tried my very best to keep all expression from my face and voice as I asked, "You would leave me again?"

He never even blinked. "If that is what you wish after hearing of my unforgivable choices, yes."

I took a deep breath and gave him a hard stare. "Carlisle, I can understand that you didn't tell me immediately. At seventeen, it would have been inappropriate. You're right. I can't fault you for that one. I forgave you and your family for leaving a long time ago, and even after this, I still believe that error lies solely at Edward's feet, because he came up with the stupid idea to leave. I understand where you would feel the need to take a step back and let the bad blood, no pun intended, clear. I know that between Jasper's renewed hunger, Rosalie's constant bitching and Edward being, well... Edward, things between your family were tense. If you say that you thought you could persuade the family to come back, if you had plans to return, I believe you."

I crossed my arms and glared. "What pisses me off is that, once again, someone was also taking my decisions away at the same time. You took away my right to decide, my right to feel. I chose to befriend vampires. I may not have understood every single little aspect of it, but believe me when I say that at eighteen years old, I was aware that vampires are dangerous. I got it! I promise! You leaving because you wanted to keep me from the dangerous creatures was wrong. You could have said 'Hey! Things are really tense. Jasper wants to kill you and Rosalie is being a bitch and so is Edward. We need time to calm down. And you know what...we're really dangerous. This could happen again. Are you sure you want to put up with this?' That was my decision to make and you took it away. And if you coming back hurt me then it was my right to feel that."

I threw up my hands in exasperated fury. "And for Christ's sake, Carlisle, Jasper tried to kill me! I forgave _him!_ What the fuck makes you think that I wouldn't forgive a dumbass decision like you leaving for dumbass reasons? Guess what, Carlisle? We all fuck up once in awhile. It just took the Great Carlisle Cullen almost four hundred years to do it." I made a violent stabbing motion with my pointer finger. "You should have been crawling on your knees and begging for forgiveness years ago. Yes, you fucked up! But did you _honestly_ think that I wouldn't forgive you if you asked?"

"I could not forgive myself," he mumbled, his topaz eyes looking distressed. "How could I expect you to?"

That should have infuriated me, but he sounded so sad that I could not stay angry with him. "Carlisle, you are one of the most compassionate men that I have ever met. You can forgive everyone else everything, but not yourself. Why not?"

"Perhaps I could...if it were anyone but you."

"Oh, Carlisle," I sighed. I reached down and stroked his soft locks for a few moments before tugging on his shirt to get him to move up next to me on the couch. I took one of his cool, large hands in my small ones and intertwined my fingers with his. "Why didn't you tell me that I was your mate yesterday afternoon?"

"What was I supposed to say, Isabella?" he inquired softly. "My family has been torn apart, but it is perfectly all right, because you are my mate and my world is complete now. Oh, can I mount and mate with you right now? Because I need to make absolutely certain that you know that you belong to me."

I gaped for a moment and tried to ignore my body's reaction. "Um..."

"Inappropriate, yes?"

I laughed and leaned against him, rubbing my cheek against his shoulder. "Just slightly. I guess that's why you went back to the shop?"

"To mate with you?" I could practically hear him smirking. "No. That is not why I went back. You had obviously responded to my presence...positively. I could not sense any distress from you at my being near, so when you became distant about meeting with me later, I wonder if perhaps my perception was wrong. Unfortunately, I needed to be back at the hospital. I returned, because I genuinely wished to see you, to speak with you, to reconnect with you. And before you ask, yes, I was planning on telling you part of what I told you now. I was going to give you the option of walking away."

I sighed heavily. "You should know me better than that, Carlisle."

"Isabella, it has been five and a half years. People change."

"Have you?" I shot back.

"I am a vampire. The only changes that we are capable of making are ones that relate to our mate," he said matter-of-factly. "By and large, I am a compassionate man who does not generally approve of violence, yet I would kill for you without a second thought." He chortled darkly. "You heard the _thunder_ last night?"

I suddenly remembered that he had followed me—at least, I thought he had followed me—and had obviously torn apart a section of the surrounding forest in his jealous and rage. "Carlisle..." I murmured hesitantly. "Did you... I mean, why did..."

"I wish I could say it was simply to ascertain that you were not so distraught by my presence that you had to flee, and to tell you if that were so then I would remove myself from the picture of your life," he said, a slight hint of embarrassment in his voice. "If I were to say that, it would be only a partial truth. The largest truth is I had found my mate and was not at all pleased at the thought of some male placing his hands on her, or attempting to do anything with her."

"You were jealous," I said with a superior tone.

"Yes." He sounded somewhat proud of himself.

"And you came back today, because...?"

"Do you want the more subtle and acceptable answer or the barefaced truth?"

Well, that was surprising and more than intriguing. "Both?"

He shifted so his lips were nuzzling against my ear. "The subtle answer is that I wanted to make sure you were okay with my presence and to see if you would accept any romantic advances. The blunt truth is that I am not human. I am a vampire. I am more in touch with my animal nature than a human male, so because of that, I have to be close to make sure that no other male comes sniffing around you. I also came back to show off, to prove that I am the more suitable mate, very much like a peacock parading around and displaying its feathers to a female."

Now he _really_ sounded proud of himself.

He chuckled at my stunned silence. "You are speechless." He ignored my yelp as he suddenly pulled me over to straddle his lap, and he clearly enjoyed the fact that my dress had ridden up my thighs. I could only gape at his smug grin. "You know, I do believe it would be best if I had someone deliver food, because I have no plans of us leaving your apartment any time soon." He placed one hand on my hip and reached up to fist his other hand in my chocolate curls before he drew me in for a passionate kiss. "I refuse to share you with anyone tonight, Isabella."

.

TBC

**A/N:** I now have an AroBella up called **Forsaken Wild**. I would also like to invite all of you who remember or heard of **Feral Blood** to take a peek at the first installment of the **Feral** series, which has been published on Amazon under the name Arisa Baumann. You don't need an actual Kindle to purchase, only the Kindle app. You can also read it on your laptop/desktop with Amazon's cloud reader! No Kindle required! I'm so thrilled to finally have this story out and to announce that Part Two will be available this winter, along with a print edition of Parts 1&2 together!

I'd also like to invite everyone to check out my friend **4MeJasper's** fics, particularly **Her Keeper** and **Prey for Him**. She has some great Jasper fics that I think everyone would enjoy, so make sure you check those out too!


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